Blue Jays players to face possible fine, jail time for breaking out of bubble: report
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Toronto Blue Jays players are reportedly facing a massive penalty should they be seen outside of the Rogers Centre or hotel bubble during baseball’s preparation for the upcoming, shortened season.
Players may be fined $750,000 and face potential jail time for breaking their quarantine, TSN reported Friday. The players have been staying at the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel, which is connected to the Rogers Centre. Their first game is scheduled against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 24.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 45 Blue Jays players are at the ballpark for the second "spring" training while about a dozen others are at the spring training facility in Florida, Manager Charlie Montoyo said Wednesday, according to TSN.
The organization received an exemption to train in Canada. Marie-Pier Burelle, Canada’s Public Health Agency spokeswoman, said the players and staff were issued the exemption on “national interest grounds.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burelle said Major League Baseball is offering “robust measures to mitigate the risk of importation and spread of COVID-19 in Canada." She said Toronto Public Health and Ontario Public Health also support the proposed risk mitigation measures.
“Based on these factors, the Government of Canada has issued an exemption to the mandatory isolation order on national interest grounds for team members and staff of the MLB," she said.
“Blue Jays players and staff who have traveled from outside of Canada will have to stay within the Rogers Centre and the specified areas of the attached hotel for 14 days. ”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burelle noted they have only approved the MLB for spring training and regular-season games still need to be evaluated.
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“Players and staff must comply with the MLB’s public health plan,” she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro said the team has a plan for the regular season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.